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This trip was everything that I dreamed it would be. And more. When I think back, I remember all the emotions I went through from the very moment the idea came to me, to the moment I boarded my first flight and left everything that I knew behind. Taking the leap was frightening, exciting and truly an adventure. The planning was time-consuming, stressful at times and annoying when things just weren’t adding up. Now, all of it was worth it in the end.

Saving

For seven months, I basically killed my social life. Saving for a RTW trip in less than a year was no easy task, and I think I gave the cartoon character Scrooge a run for his money. I stayed home constantly, I barely ate out at restaurants and it sucked having to tell my friends ‘No’ to offers of a night on the town. Going out then was equal to spending the money which I would need for plane tickets, accommodation and a subway ride on my big trip. It was really hard. Hard like diamonds. However, it was necessary and I stuck to it. After all the hard work, I finally met my savings goal and a dream was turned into a reality.

Planning

This trip underwent over 6 months of back-breaking research. I say back-breaking, because of the hundreds of hours spent hunched over my Macbook Pro searching for information online, or just simply browsing through the countless numbers of travel blogs scattered all over the World Wide Web. Everything from finding out what exactly hostels were, to visa requirements and the cost of taxis in each country I would be visiting was typed into my beloved Google. Thankfully, everything worked out. Even some of my random search entries proved to be of help. Like I said in a previous post, I wasn’t planning on visiting Innsbruck, Austria but when all the trains from Italy to Switzerland were sold out, I knew from my research that Innsbruck could be a great stop on the way over and the idea worked out great! I had countless spreadsheet documents with all budget figures, from accommodation costs per day, to my splurge fund which included the entrance fee to the Angkor Temples and my trip to the Swiss Alps. Being organized and prepared helps!

Countries

The destinations which I visited were all pretty great. Each of them offered something different, something memorable. Sometimes, it’s what I did there that made the visit awesome, while in other countries, it was the interesting people who I met that made the trip special. In Cambodia, the people were the best part of the country. From my Angkor Complex tuk tuk driver who shared lunch with me, and stories about his family, to a random local on the bus from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh who talked with me for over 3 hours made me fall in love with the country. I would be in a tuk tuk at a traffic light in Phnom Penh, and everyone would just be smiling and waving at me. I was made to understand that this was due to the fact that I was a young black woman, something that they apparently weren’t used to seeing, and a little girl actually called me Michelle Obama! I can’t count the number of smiles I received during my short stay.

The food in Italy was awesome. I loved everything from the pastas to the delicious gelato! The highlight of Slovenia was the view at the top of the Old Bell Tower, after huffing and puffing up the hundreds of stairs, and nothing compared to the beauty of the Swiss Alps. I loved my bike trip from Santa Monica Pier to Venice Beach in Los Angeles. Speaking of Venice, the floating city of Venice in Italy was absolutely spectacular, and I will never forget being lost in the many alleys in the cold Fall weather. Singapore and Malaysia were a brilliant contrast after the countries of Vietnam and Cambodia with their modern architecture and fashionable locals. You get the point!

Total cost of flights: $1350 (Two award flights: Antigua to LA and Switzerland to Antigua)

Top Photo From Each Country

Santa Monica Pier, Los Angeles

City view in Singapore

Face of Bayon, Cambodia

Vendor in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Tom Yam in Malaysia...Yum Yum!

View of Venice from the Cruise Ship

Koper, Slovenia from the Old Bell Tower

Dubrovnik Harbour, Croatia

Overlooking Innsbruck, Austria

The Stunning Swiss Alps

Summary

Planning this RTW trip took a lot of effort, sleepless nights and many sacrifices, but it’s one of the most rewarding experiences of my entire life. This doesn’t have to be a once in a lifetime experience, but it will forever hold a special place in my heart. The world is a beautiful place, and we are all global citizens. Get out there and see this world for yourself! Happy Travels!

In the weeks leading up to my Round the World Trip, I needed to keep myself distracted, or I’d be watching every second pass by. After reading many travel blogs online, I got the idea to practice photography in order to get the best photographic memories from my trip. I tampered a bit with the camera, and I’m so glad that I did! I am no photographer by any stretch of my imagination, but the small town of Koper in Slovenia was too gorgeous not to give the camera my best shot! Here’s what my morning in Koper looked like: